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Guard denies inmate claim of beating

He only "talked to" a prisoner headed to a court hearing on inmate abuse, he testifies. A nurse says she saw "no active bleeding" on the inmate's face.

By MEG LAUGHLIN
Published September 22, 2006

JACKSONVILLE - A state corrections guard denied Thursday that he beat an inmate headed for a federal hearing on prison abuse.

Anthony Sutton and seven other inmates were being held at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution Sept. 8 when Sutton alleges he was beaten by guard Terence Dean. He testified before a federal judge last week that Dean had told him to "keep quiet."

On Thursday, Dean told U.S. District Judge Henry Adams that he did not "slap, punch, kick or push" Sutton.

Guards and inmates at Santa Rosa agree on several things: Sutton was upset because some of his personal property was confiscated by guards before he got on the bus to Union Correctional Institution, where he was supposed to testify by video. When he complained, he was taken to a holding cell by two guards, John Thompson and Ralph Butler, and visited several times by Dean. What happened next differs, depending on who is telling the story.

"I went back three times to talk to him," Dean said. "The second time his voice was loud. I talked to him in the holding cell and left. The third time I heard banging and kicking ... and yelling and screaming."

But he said he did not see anyone hurt Sutton, who was shackled and handcuffed, and he did not "slap, punch, kick or push" him.

A nurse was then called "by someone" to Sutton's cell, he said.

Nurse Elva McCaig testified: "Inmate Sutton stated to me that a correctional officer slapped him in the face and pushed him."

But McCaig said she saw "no active bleeding or face cuts."

"He had some skin problems on his face - multiple areas of redness and a small abrasion. ... And, he had an abrasion on his knee and two abrasions on his back, about three inches long, that were superficial, like a scab was off," she said Thursday.

Last week, during his testimony, Sutton called the attention of the federal judge to a cut and swollen lip and alleged the assault. Five other inmates also told the judge they were threatened with similar abuse if they testified.

Jason Vail, assistant attorney general for the Florida Department of Corrections, asked the judge if he could call more witnesses to counter the inmate claims. Adams declined, saying, "You just won't let this go."

Vail responded, "No, your honor, we protect our own."

The alleged assault is under investigation by the inspector general for the Department of Corrections.

[Last modified September 22, 2006, 01:16:05]